The Baltimore Ravens cruised in the regular season but can likely-MVP Lamar Jackson and his team rise to the occasion as they begin their playoff run?
After locking up the No. 1 seed in the AFC, Lamar Jackson the Baltimore Ravens now face the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round to see who will move on to the AFC Championship Game. It’s been quite a year to remember for Jackson as the second-year quarterback is the frontrunner to win the league MVP. But how will he fare in the playoffs with all the pressure on his shoulders?
In the past, teams that earn first-round byes in the postseason do most of their regular season damage in the middle portion of the year, sending them into the playoffs a little cold and (in some cases) not ready to play a do-or-die game. Will that be the case for the Ravens?
Well, the Ravens haven’t lost since Week 4, when they were destroyed by the Cleveland Browns in Baltimore. Since then, it’s been nothing but smooth sailing and nothing but calm waters for the now 14-2 Ravens. They’ve smashed their fair share of formidable teams such as the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and Houston Texans and have enjoyed doing it.
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It’s hard to think of a time when Baltimore actually faced any adversity this year. Is that a good or bad thing as we near the climax of the NFL season? There’s no way of knowing prior to kickoff on Saturday.
This will only be Jackson’s second playoff game of his very young career. And if he has another repeat of last year’s debacle against the Los Angeles Chargers where Jackson had just two completions in the first half, the Ravens will certainly be on their way to an untimely departure from title contention this year.
But this is actually a great matchup for the Ravens, even as they come out of (in actuality) two bye weeks after resting many starters in Week 17. Yes, there’s a chance they all come out cold and the offense struggles to get moving. But at the same time, this is the best offense and far and away the best rushing attack in the game.
Meanwhile, the Titans are not all that great on the defensive side of the ball right now, allowing about 360 yards of total offense in the regular season. Tennessee has faced a number of injuries on that side of the ball, particularly in the secondary.
If there is a best way to perhaps beat the Ravens, it’s to get the jump on them with an early lead and make Jackson come from behind as he’s mostly played with the lead this year. But on the flip side of that, that’s just not the style of the Titans to be that aggressive, scoring early and often.
They are a notorious run team in their own regard and they like to pound the ball with Derrick Henry, who’s on a tear right now, and burn some clock. But Baltimore was actually the fifth-best team in the NFL this year against the run in terms of rushing yards allowed per game (93.4). Though not as dominant at stopping the run as they are at running themselves, they are quite capable.
Yes, Tennessee has won eight of their last 11 games, but there’s something special going on in Baltimore this year. They play with loads of emotion and swagger. And they have a quarterback who’s perplexing the league with his own style as opposing teams are trying to figure him out on the go, much like Cam Newton and the 2015 Carolina Panthers.
When Saturday comes, the moment shouldn’t be too big for the Ravens. The rushing duo of Jackson and Mark Ingram will be almost impossible to halt and they’ll control the action. And, frankly, this team is poised for a deep run in the postseason.